Rocky and Bullwinkle
Rocky The Flying Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose are the main characters of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, an American animated television series produced by Jay Ward, which, though originally aired on ABC, was moved to NBC in 1961 and remained there until 1964. The duo are anthropomorphic-animal characters, Rocky a plucky flying squirrel and Bullwinkle a dimwitted but good-hearted moose, who go on adventures to confront their Russian-like spy adversaries, Boris Badenov and Natasha Fatale. They are also accompanied by a large supporting cast that includes (among other characters) the Canadian mountie Dudley Do-Right, a boy named Sherman, and his intellectual talking-dog friend Mr. Peabody. History with the Macy's Parade Bullwinkle Bullwinkle first appeared in the parade in 1961. Here, Bullwinkle is dressed in a red and white striped bathing suit. This balloon is 65 feet tall and 35 feet wide, one of the bigger balloons to be made during this era. This balloon, like many in the time period, became a parade classic and is the second longest running balloon to appear in the parade, as it appeared in 23 parades, it formally held the record for the longest-running balloon, but Happy Dragon's flights in 1991 and 92 have beaten that, which that balloon appeared in 24 parades. The balloon was finally retired in 1983, due to significant aging over the years. That same year, it made an appearance alongside Woody Woodpecker to celebrate the opening of a Macy's store in Aventura, Florida. As of 2014, it still exists in the parade studio. It is unlikely this balloon will ever return, as it can not make it off the ground, alongside major damage to the balloon. Rocky and Bullwinkle A new Bullwinkle balloon was made in 1996, and this time, he wears a Wossamotta U sweater, and he's joined by his best friend Rocky the Flying Squirrel. That year, the balloon was selected to be the Holiday Ambassador, and a walk-around version of Bullwinkle appeared in the parade. The Rocky and Bullwinkle balloon was the first balloon in the parade's history to have a separate balloon attachment. The propeller on Bullwinkle's head was a separate balloon that was inflated first, then attached to Bullwinkle's head. It also had a motor so the propeller span around on Bullwinkle's head during the parade. This also made it the first animated balloon in the parade. The duo did not appear in the 1997 and 1998 parades for unknown reasons, although it is likely that the Parade Studio wanted to keep their balloon safe from the strong winds and rainfall which could have destroyed it. After two years of absence, Rocky & Bullwinkle finally made their second parade appearance together in 1999. During their last appearance, in 2000 ― which was to promote their new CGI feature film ― Rocky was not seen with Bullwinkle because he had deflated during preparation. They were retired after 2000, and have yet to appear again. Incidents * In 1964, Bullwinkle was pushed by winds and almost collided into the crowd. * In 1971, Bullwinkle, along with every other balloon, could not be inflated due to extreme weather. * In 1976, Bullwinkle's left finger was deflated. * In 1982, after Bullwinkle started the parade, he collided with traffic lights at the start of the parade so his nose started to deflate. The balloon struggled along the route until having to be taken out four blocks before the finish line. * In 1983, his last appearance in his original design, Bullwinkle's head and legs were pushing due to heavy winds and rain, but the balloon wasn't damaged, even though he was clearly showing his age. * In 1996, Bullwinkle's backpack was deflated * In 2000, only Bullwinkle was seen in the Parade, as Rocky had sprung a leak during preparation. Trivia * The eye pupils on the original Bullwinkle balloon are blue, which is inconsistent with his animated appearance, his pupils are actually black. Balloons *Bullwinkle J. Moose (1961-1983) *Rocky & Bullwinkle (1996, 1999-2000) Total appearances-26 Gallery Gallery: Rocky and Bullwinkle Category:Macy's Balloon Characters Category:1961 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:1996 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Category:Comeback Balloon in the Parade Category:Retired Balloons Category:Cartoon Characters Category:1960s Balloons Category:1990s Balloons Category:Holiday Ambassadors Category:TV Characters Category:Male Balloons Category:Parade Favorites Category:Multi-Character Balloons Category:Animated Balloons Category:Balloons used outside of the parade Category:Goodyear Balloons Category:Raven Aerostar Balloons Category:Scrapped Balloons Category:1961 Balloons Category:1996 Balloons Category:Balloons that were removed from the parade Category:Balloons that got removed from the parade